Running back, Arizona, 2017–⁠20

Gary Brightwell

Height
6′1″
Weight
218 lb
Class (2020)
Senior
Hometown
Chester, PA
Born
Feb 28, 1999, in Chester, Pennsylvania

Wikipedia readers: about 692 a month over the past year

Gary Brightwell played running back at Arizona (2017–⁠20). The New York Giants took Brightwell in round 6, No. 196 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
530
Rushing yards, 2018 (Arizona, 5–⁠7)
Drafted
No. 196
Round 6, 2021 NFL Draft (New York Giants)

Career highs

141rushing yards, career highvs. Northern Arizona, 20192rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Texas Tech, 2019

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2018Arizona915305.8372
2019Arizona663905.9594
2020Arizona863864.5134
Career2431,3065.4994

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2018Arizona294.509
2019Arizona45914.8138
2020Arizona13584.5015
Career191266.6138

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2017Arizona220000
2018Arizona220000
2019Arizona320000
2020Arizona110000
Career870000

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2018Arizona2470
2019Arizona3390
Career5860

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamPosClassHtWt
2017ArizonaRBFr.
2018ArizonaRBSo.
2019ArizonaRBJr.
2020ArizonaRBSr.6′1″218

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2018Arizona930.0628th (n=300)0.155.813%0.03
2019Arizona720.4198th (n=287)0.1329.710%0.21
2020Arizona103-0.066th (n=212)0.14-6.428%-0.11

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2020 Arizona 5 games, 386 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Nov 14vs.USCL 30–⁠3421112034325
Nov 21atWashingtonL 27–⁠441155020412
Nov 28atUCLAL 10–⁠27175701012
Dec 5vs.ColoradoL 13–⁠242011312725
Dec 11vs.Arizona StateL 7–⁠701749012314
2019 Arizona 10 games, 390 rushing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 24atHawai’iL 38–⁠45––––111
Sep 7vs.Northern ArizonaW 65–⁠415141194––
Sep 14vs.Texas TechW 28–⁠142185213––
Sep 28vs.UCLAW 20–⁠17733117––
Oct 5atColoradoW 35–⁠3011270514
Oct 26atStanfordL 31–⁠412304––
Nov 2vs.Oregon StateL 38–⁠561054110138
Nov 16atOregonL 6–⁠34420010––
Nov 23vs.UtahL 7–⁠351505––
Nov 30atArizona StateL 14–⁠2452201016
2018 Arizona 11 games, 530 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 1vs.BYUL 23–⁠2893007––
Sep 8atHoustonL 18–⁠45133909––
Sep 15vs.Southern UtahW 62–⁠31986029––
Sep 22atOregon StateW 35–⁠1413113143––
Sep 29vs.USCL 20–⁠24414110––
Oct 6vs.CaliforniaW 24–⁠17726010––
Oct 12atUtahL 10–⁠427190810
Oct 20atUCLAL 30–⁠3115121072––
Oct 27vs.OregonW 44–⁠15731011––
Nov 17atWashington StateL 28–⁠693150919
Nov 24vs.Arizona StateL 40–⁠41436135––
2017 Arizona 1 game, 2 tackles
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Oct 28vs.Washington StateW 58–⁠37––––––

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillPro day 2021
Height5′10¾″
Weight218 lb
Arm length31″
Hand size9⅜″
Wingspan74¼″
40-yard dash4.58 s
10-yard split1.62 s
Vertical jump34½″
Broad jump9′10″
Bench press17 reps
3-cone drill7.51 s
20-yard shuttle4.48 s

Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

5 seasons, 29 games with a stat; latest team: Cincinnati Bengals.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2021New York Giants714016
2022New York Giants15311411539
2023New York Giants49190547
2024Cleveland Browns100000
2025Cincinnati Bengals200000
NFL career294116411192

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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